Year: 2016
Nigerian Feminist Forum Reacts : The Gender and Equal Opportunities Bill.
Nigerian Feminist Forum Reacts : The Gender and Equal Opportunities Bill.
- Swiftly reintroduce the Gender and Equal Opportunities Bill for an informed debate on the floor of the chambers;
- Reintroduce the GEOB into the Senate on the Executive and not Residual list. We are tired of having laws pertaining to women applicable only in ABUJA.
- Consult members of civil society organizations (CSOs) specifically the women’s movement for better analysis & informed positions on the gender & equal opportunities Bill.
- Pass without delay, the Gender and Equal Opportunities Bill when re-introduced for reading at the floor of the legislative chambers
- Continue to support and sustain media advocacy needed for the successful passing of the GEOB and;
- Keep issues concerning the welfare of women in the front pages of the news.
- Sustain social media campaigns and engagements on issues affecting women in Nigeria;
- Come out en-masse on Wednesday the 23rd of March 2016 by 10am at the Lagos Television (LTV) compound, for a peaceful protest against the withdrawal of the GEOB. (Dress Code is Black T-shirt/Blouse/Hijab/Skirt/
Trouser) - We also encourage CSO’s and individuals outside of Lagos to organize and carry out similar peacefully protest in various cities.
International Women’s Week: A celebration of Voices and Truths.
International Women’s Week: A celebration of Voices and Truths.
At AWDF we recognize the importance of celebrating women in our daily lives and during the month of March we especially invite the public to join us in this joyous task. This year, we marked the day with three special events, each of which had a strong recurring theme: Voices and Truth.
AWDF believes conversations like these are vital to changing stereotypical notions about African women and their role in society.
Renowned Ghanaian photographer Nana Kofi Acquah’s photo exhibit “Don’t Call Me Beautiful,” was a work that focused on displaying the complexity and variety of the African woman, and in that vein it definitely succeeded. AWDF held a panel discussion at the close of the exhibition, on 8th March – International Women’s Day – to explore these themes and to question the relevancy of the word resilience in connection to the African woman. The event took place at Alliance Francaise Accra.
The room was filled with members and staff of Alliance Francaise Accra and an engaged public. At times contentious, never dull, the panel, which was moderated by Kinna Likimanni, discussed notions of beauty, colour and skin bleaching, with active participation from the audience.
Our second panel discussion organized jointly with the Centre For Gender Studies and Advocacy ( CEGENSA) on Friday March 11 was another opportunity to tackle thorny issues.
The theme “About Last Night,” focused heavily on student relationships, date rape, and sexual abuse on Legon Campus and the ways in which victims are treated both by the institution and their peers. The room was full of students from the University and some students from SOS-Hermann Gmeiner International College. A few young undergraduate women were brave enough to share harrowing stories of their own abuse that they’d suffered on Legon Campus and the lack of response that followed it.
“He walks around here like this untouchable, charming guy and no one knows that this is what he really is,” said a young woman about the male student friend who assaulted her.
And she was not the only one– many students and people in the room expressed the unfairness of society’s expectations for young girls and the need for women to be the ones who guard themselves from sexual assault. It was clear that there was much to discuss, and the event ended on a note of bittersweet hope for all involved.
One high note was the presence of the SOS students (all female), whose vocal and confident contributions underlined their heightened self-awareness and knowledge of women’s rights and feminism.
“They were the real stars of tonight. They absolutely made my day – and the entire programme,” said Prof. Audrey Gadzekpo, who acted as moderator for the discussion.
We wrapped up the week with a celebration of music at Accra’s cultural mecca Alliance Francaise, where the Francophonie festival began with a concert by Malian singer Fatoumata Diarawa.
At AWDF we recognize the importance of the arts as a tool to promote social justice and a medium to nurture and raise the profile of African women and their achievements. Teaming up with Alliance Francaise and other partners for Diawarra’s concert was a way in which we could salute one of the continent’s brightest talents.
After a soulful curtain opener by AWDF’s communications staffer “Suga” and high-energy Ghanaian musician Sherifa Gunu, Fatoumata hit the stage for an unforgettable night of music and dance. Two of Fatoumata’s songs, “Oumou” which celebrates African Female Artistes and “Boloko,” a song with a strong anti FGM message, reinforced the power of music as a tool for social change.
From the various ways in which we portray women in art to the lives women lead in silence, these events examined the truth of African women, finding it painful, complicated and inspiring.
African women and their achievements and struggles must be celebrated and discussed. And the spirit of International Women’s Day, that week and month must be carried through the entire year if we are to reach the goal of gender parity. For us at AWDF we will continue to strive to see that women are understood as deserving of recognition, celebration and a voice.
Health and Reproductive Rights Portfolio: A look back at the last 14 years of thematic grantmaking and recommendations for moving forward
Health and Reproductive Rights Portfolio: A look back at the last 14 years of thematic grantmaking and recommendations for moving forward
In an effort to ensure that the HRR thematic area remains relevant to women’s needs and reflect current and emerging issues that affect health and reproductive rights of women in Africa, AWDF commissioned an independent consultant (Ms. Everjoice J. Win) to conduct an evaluation of the thematic HRR area.
This report is an abridged version of the findings from that assessment. To obtain a full copy of the evaluation, please contact Ms. Zeytuna Abdella Feyissa-Azasoo, the M&E Specialist at AWDF. The overall objectives of the HRR evaluation were:
To document and assess the work of AWDF in this thematic area, examining the relevance of selected priorities;
To understand major challenges that have contributed to low patronage of the thematic area and suggest improvements;
To identify current and emerging HRR issues of importance to African women.
Grants Making for Women’s Rights: Lessons Learnt.
Grants Making for Women’s Rights: Lessons Learnt.
This report is an Abridged Evaluation of AWDF’s work. It focuses on the Projects completed under Comic Relief grant.
The purpose of the evaluation was to evaluate the project performance, identify good practices and draw out lessons that can be applied in future interventions. As the Comic Relief grant supported AWDF’s Strategic Plan, the evaluation looked at AWDF’s main areas of work and assessed the role of the Comic Relief grant within which the AWDF initiatives were conducted. The evaluation coincided with AWDF’s Strategic Plan midway point. Findings from the evaluation were also used to inform AWDF’s subsequent decision-making processes.
International Women’s Month The Interviews PART 3: CONSENT
International Women’s Month The Interviews PART 3: CONSENT
Maame Akua Marfo’s interviews with students of the University of Ghana, Legon, continue here.
The idea of consent is affected by the way we talk about it and the way we see it in our daily lives. Consent on campus is often seen as unnecessary when a girl is involved in a relationship with a man– then it almost seems like he is entitled to her.
Question : Does being in a relationship change the definition of consent or the way in which you think men understand it?
“Most guys say you should be able to… enjoy your girlfriend whenever you want.” K
“And I mean the language that we use to talk about rape isn’t helpful. People think Rape involves a stranger. Especially in this country. Rape isn’t just that. It’s your my girlfriend and you’re asleep–passed out drunk and I had sex with you whilst you’re asleep— that’s rape. You are my teacher and you mess my grade up and I come and see you and you force me to have sex with you to get the grade I deserve? That’s rape. On so many levels there are so many things people take for granted here– that are actually rape. If someone doesn’t enthusiastically consent to have sex with you– it’s rape. On campus here people think it’s not rape if it’s with your girlfriend? And it makes me wonder how many people have you raped? ” N
“At what point– even in a relationship can you say I’ve been molested/ harassed by your boyfriend? At what point can you say I’ve been raped by my husband? I mean even the law isn’t on your side. Marital rape is still a myth in a lot of our legal framework.” X
“A lot of the time a girl will be with a guy– and she’ll set clear boundaries. State what she’s comfortable doing and everything but a guy in the moment will hear what she says and think of it as a challenge in some ways–despite the fact he knows what she is or isn’t comfortable with. Or he’ll think that after a certain point– she’ll just need to give in. She’ll be crazy into it, and just want him to continue.” K
This idea that sex within relationships is always consensual is a norm. It is antiquated thought carried over by years of negative cultural values and societal reinforcement. What do we teach men about what women are worth? Do we teach them that they are people or prey? And even where the lines are drawn do we allow men to blur them without any real repercussion?
“When a boy is a teenager he can do anything and get away with it. Even violent rape itself, they say it’s just boys being boys– and then they look at young girls after their raped and ask is she respectable? was she being disrespectful? was she challenging him?” X
“One time we were out drinking on a senior trip– and these guys were feeding this friends of mine drinks. And I was like.. what is going on here–and they were like– she’s an “investment.” So for you to look at a girl that’s your friend, that you’ve known for four years and call her an investment? It’s worrying.
For another friend of mine that trip was deadly. She was my roommate and then later in the night we couldn’t find her– A friend came in and said they’d seen her heading to the beach with another mutual male friend of ours so we went to look for her. On our way we see the male friend coming from the beach. i asked him where she was and he shrugged and said he’d left her on the beach. I got there and she was passed out in the sand. Later the boy tells me he had sex with her on that beach. And when we saw her it was clear that had happened. But she has no recollection of it–she was passed out drunk in the sand another friend had to carry her to our room.” V
Do we teach girls then, that normal is protecting yourself against rape. That normal is thinking of the ways in which you deal with men being men?
“In our part of the world, there’s a way in which girls are brought up to feel bad about the things that happen to them. Even before it happens they’ve been thought to blame themselves. So they don’t speak up and when they do– society punishes them for it. You become the girl who got raped.” Y
“There’s this girl she was invited to study– with one of her friends. So they’re studying in his room and suddenly– he’s masturbating on her thigh. And she was like– did I miss something? Did I misread the signs? And immediately she starts examining if she had anything to do with this guy and the way he is treating her. She starts asking– how is this my fault?” N
“It’s so frustrating because you start choosing the type of victim you want to be. You’re in an inner room, there are boys outside this boy is trying to have sex with you. Trying to rape you. Do I scream? Do I bang on the door? If I scream and get let out– okay I wasn’t raped. I was harassed. I was assaulted– But I’m going to be further victimized and which can I take? The victimization of society or the man trying to force himself on me? The public shame or the private pain?” X